Cowboys, Panthers on the Playoff Prowl Again

Author: 
Agence France Presse
Publication Date: 
Sat, 2004-01-03 03:00

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, 3 January 2003 — Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys are back in the playoffs. The Carolina Panthers are in the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. Parcells and the Cowboys visit the Panthers in an NFC wild card game as the National Football League playoffs kick off this weekend with the Cowboys making their first post-season appearance in five years.

The Cowboys will be one of four teams squaring off today while four others, including Denver and Indianapolis, will battle tomorrow. St. Louis, Philadelphia, New England and Kansas City have the week off.

After three straight 5-11 seasons, the Cowboys turned to Parcells — one of the most successful coaches in NFL history — to resurrect their proud franchise. Parcells delivered and has the Cowboys back in the postseason for the first time since 1999. Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and took the New England Patriots to one, has an 11-6 career record in the postseason.

It has been an even longer drought for the Panthers, who won the NFC West title and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 1996. The first playoff trip was a memorable one for Carolina, which advanced to the NFC championship game by defeating the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys, 26-17, in the divisional round.

Earlier this season, the Cowboys posted a 24-20 victory over the Panthers in Dallas.

In the other today match-up, the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens renew what was one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries when the teams meet in the AFC wild card round.

The teams built their rivalry while they were members of the AFC Central Division. But their annual meetings ended when the divisions were realigned after the 2001 season. The Ravens have won the last five meetings from the Titans, including a playoff triumph en route to its Super Bowl title during the 2000 season.

The Denver Broncos return to the playoff stage for the first time in three years when they visit the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC wild card game. The Broncos have to like the setting. On Dec. 21, they clinched a playoff spot with a 31-17 victory here over the Colts.

Peyton Manning, who was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his six-year career with Indianapolis, completed 12-of-23 passes for just 146 yards. Manning will have to be much better this time around if he wants to earn his first playoff win.

Three months after losing a regular season game in Green Bay, Mike Holmgren and the Seattle Seahawks return to face the Packers in an NFC wild card game tomorrow. The only coach to succeed in the prodigious shadow of Vince Lombardi in Green Bay, Holmgren won a Super Bowl in 1996, took the Packers to another the following year and guided the franchise to six playoff appearances in his seven-year tenure.

All of those postseason appearances came with Favre at quarterback.

The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player is in the playoffs for the ninth time in his 12 years with Green Bay and has a postseason record of 10-7, but has lost four of his last five. The Seahawks are looking to end the NFL’s longest current playoff drought without a victory — going back to December 1984.

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